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PRICE 25 CENTS 



TO DEMOCRACY 
TO WORLD PEACE 



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Copyrig-ht, 1919, by Thoffias Keefe. Ail 
rights reserved. 



PPB 24 1919 

■ ^ " A OALiL. 
There is a CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS, 
a volunteer to act as WORLD organizer, 
volunteers to act as NATIONAL organiz- 
ers, volunteers to act as STATE organ- 
izers, volunteers to act as COUNTY or- 
ganizers, and volunteers to act as PRE- 
CINCT organizers. Stop complaining; 
Volunteer and get busy. 



©CI.A5rX723 



THE WAY. 

To Democracy and World Peace. 

VOLUNTEER DRAWN DEMOC- 
RACY. 

Volunteer Drawn Democracy is 
not the name of a social system; 
neither is it the name of a form of 
government. It has been chosen as 
the name of a method to be used in- 
stead of the method by election, for 
securing representation in a repre- 
sentative democracy. As democracies 
using the elective method may be 
termed elective democracies, and the 
method elective democracy, so de- 
mocracies using the volunteer drriY\ n 
method may be termed volunteer 
drawn democracies, and the method 
Volunteer Drawn Democracy. 

Elective democracy is culling and 
picking with the theoretical purpose 
of securing the best qualified. Vol- 



unteer Drawn Democracy is taking 
at random from the whole number 
admitted to be quahfied. In the prac- 
tice of it representatives of the peo- 
ple would be designated by drawings 
had from the whole number of peo- 
ple eligible who volunteer for the 
purpose. If a given number of people 
are to be taken to represent the whole 
people in a law making body, eligible 
volunteers will be called for, and 
from those who volunteer, the re- 
quired number will be taken by 
drawings fairly had for that purpose. 
This method would treat all alike. 
It is democratic. A law making body 
obtained in this w^ay will represent 
all the people, the Democracy; and 
at the same time each element of the 
Democracy will have proportionate 
representation in the law making 
body. Representation is the first 
qualification of a law making body. 
Quality without representative char- 



acter is of no avail. 

It is proposed to employ the 
method in securing legislatures, as 
in a representative democracy they 
should be representative of the whole 
people, and the use of the method for 
such purpose is particularly in har- 
mony with the theory of democracy 
and the reason for representative 
government. The immediate use of 
the method for determining who 
shall be executive and judicial offi- 
cers is not here proposed, as those 
officers are servants and agents of 
the people, rather than representa- 
tives, in the true sense. And if the 
people can secure a truly representa- 
tive legislature by using the method 
proposed, agents and servants will 
be relegated to their proper place in 
the government. Evils in our execut- 
ive and judicial departments are now 
traceable largely to the use of the 
elective method for securing repre- 



sentation in our legislative depart- 
ments. The underlying principle, 
selection at random from the whole 
number admitted to be qualified, can 
be applied to all departments if 
deemed advisable. 

Government is for the welfare of 
the governed. Law making is the first 
and principal function of govern- 
ment. The legislature is the govern- 
ing body in every government. It 
defines the rights and duties of all, 
decides how^ they shall act and what 
they shall do. For this reason gov- 
ernments are described by the char- 
acter of their legislatures. If one 
man makes the laws it is an autoc- 
racy; if a few of the best make them 
it is an aristocracy; if the people 
make them indirectly through repre- 
sentatives chosen by them, it is a 
republic or representative democ- 
racy and if the people make them 
directly it is a pure democracy. The 



legislatures are for the purpose of 
giving orders, while other depart- 
ments exist only because of those or- 
ders and for the purpose of admin- 
istering and applying them. For this 
reason it is proposed that represen- 
tative law making bodies be first ob- 
tained by the use of the volunteer 
drawn method. After these are se- 
cured the question of the application 
of the principle of volunteer drawn 
democracy to other departments of 
government may be taken up by the 
people and its representative legisla- 
ture. 

Methods are judged by the results 
of using them. Volunteer Drawn 
Democracy will result in popular 
rule as near as is possible in a repub- 
lic. If we take indiscriminately a 
body of units from a greater body 
of units, we shall secure a smaller 
body truly representative of the 
larger body. It will be similar, will 



be of the same quality, and it will 
function in the same manner. If we 
make a discriminate selection, we 
shall secure a smaller body differing 
as much as is possible from the 
larger body. It will be dissimilar, 
will be of different quality, and it 
will function in a different manner. 
If the purpose in taking at all is only 
to secure a smaller body, indiscrim- 
inate selection answers in every way. 
However, if the purpose in taking is 
to secure a better body in any way, 
then discriminate selection is the 
proper method to employ. In a de- 
mocracy it is agreed that the whole 
body politic is qualified to legislate, 
but a smaller body is desired, there- 
fore, discriminate selection is un- 
necessary, and indiscriminate selec- 
tion is the proper method to follow, 
and is the only method fair to all 
concerned. That is the only method 
that will secure a smaller body that 



will function as the larger body 
would. It is the only method that 
will secure a smaller body that will 
be like the larger body in all ways. 

Election is discriminate selection. 
The best are taken. The election de- 
cides who are the best. As a result 
a class is put in power. The best are 
not representative of the whole peo- 
ple and will not function as the whole 
people would. The cream is not rep- 
resentative of the milk and will not 
function in the same w^ay. Repre- 
sentative government, with respect 
to the legislature, is had only for the 
purpose of condensing the law mak- 
ing body, making it smaller, not bet- 
ter, nor different. The idea that the 
best should be taken is an idea per- 
sistent in the human mind since the 
days of autocracy and aristocracy, 
and it has no place in a democracy. 
Holding to that idea and using the 
elective method we have arrived at 



an aristocracy rather than a de- 
mocracy, and that aristocracy is an 
aristocracy of wealth. 

How large a part of our body 
politic consists of laboring men, and 
yet how seldom does one appear in 
our legislatures! Perhaps in a hun- 
dred years not one has appeared in 
our national congress. Farmers con- 
stitute another large part, and they 
fare but little better. These classes 
are the backbone of our economic 
life. They do the essential work of 
the nation. The operation of the 
elective method is such that they are 
practically excluded from our gov- 
ernmental life. The class that appears 
prominently in our governmental life 
could disappear entirely from our 
economic life and hardly be missed. 
Not so with the farmer and the la- 
borer. A fair method of selecting 
representatives will result in the 
farmer, the laborer, and other classes 



having the same prominence in our 
governmental hfe that they have in 
our economic hfe; that they have in 
the army for instance. Volunteer 
Drawn Democracy will result in that 
kind of representation, and until we 
have that kind of representation 
there will not be government by the 
people nor for the people. 

Election for securing representa- 
tives is a remnant from autocracy. 
By what process of reasoning does 
the autocrat justify to himself autoc- 
racy — his right to absolute dominion 
over millions of his fellow men? By 
the same process of reasoning we 
must justify to ourselves the results 
of the use of the elective method for 
securing representation. The auto- 
crat is considered better than the 
common people; our representatives 
are considered better than the com- 
mon people, in fact they are chosen 
for that reason. We still have a little 



10 



of autocracy in our system. Auto- 
crats are faring badly these days. 
Each day increases the danger in 
possessing anything of autocracy. It 
is better to destroy what we have of 
it while we have it in our possession, 
else it may fall into other hands to 
our sorrow. If we hesitate to adopt 
a method fair to all, the cream may 
go to the bottom, and the skim milk 
to the top in our government. 

Why this spirit of discontent? It 
is confined to the laborer and the 
farmer. Perhaps they have been 
looking into the welfare of the class 
that has ruled so long, and Ihave 
come to the conclusion that there 
are places not mentioned by Milton 
where it is better to reign than to 
serve. Why do five or six million 
voters refrain from voting in our 
nation? May It not be that they 
have come to realize the futility of 
sitting in where the elective game is 



11 

being played ? Like many a gambler's 
game, at a glance it seems fair, is 
generally considered fair, being cus- 
tomary, but the invariable results of 
playing it demonstrate that it is most 
unfair. Before another class takes 
control of our government let the 
people take control. Then we shall 
have democracy and not until then. 
The people can never take control 
and maintain it by the use of the 
elective method. They are short of 
the ammunition used in elections. 

Democracy is government by 
the people. In a pure democracy 
the people meet and transact the 
business of government. As the num- 
ber of people entitled to participate 
in the government increases and the 
territory governed becomes exten- 
sive, pure democracy becomes incon- 
venient, impracticable, or impossible. 
There are so many people that it is 
inconvenient or impossible for them 



12 



to hold a meeting; and there is so 
much business that it would require 
too much of the time of the people. 
Therefore pure democracy is super- 
seded by a form of government in 
which the supreme power, while re- 
tained by the people, is exercised in- 
directly through a system of repre- 
sentation and delegated authority, 
periodically renew^ed, a republic or 
representative democracy. 

In a republic a part of the democ- 
racy is taken to represent the whole 
democracy, a part is substituted for 
the whole, not however, pursuant to 
any theory that the part taken is bet- 
ter for the purpose than the whole, 
or better than the part not taken, but 
for reasons of expediency and con- 
venience only. Democracy is ground- 
ed upon the principle that the su- 
preme power is in the people, that 
the people are competent and have 
a right to rule. The people delegate 



13 



that power to a part of the people 
pursuant to a theory that a part will 
do as the whole would do. Any idea 
that the part taken is taken because 
it is better qualified than the whole 
people is foreign to the spirit of de- 
mocracy. This is clearly indicated 
by the fact that the people reluctantly 
delegate power to their representa- 
tives, and do still reserve some of the 
most important powers to be exer- 
cised only by themselves, as in- 
stance, the power to amend the con- 
stitution, the supreme law of the 
land. The clumsy referendum is an 
attempt to restrict the power of the 
legislature. 

After the determination to change 
from a pure democrajcy to a repre- 
sentative democracy comes the ques- 
tion of determining what members 
of the whole democracy shall be 
taken for a time to transact the busi- 
ness of government in place of the 



14 



whole. When men in their affairs 
have been confronted with the prop- 
osition of making similar determina- 
tions in the past, in other matters, 
they have followed one of two 
methods. They have drawn lots or 
they have held elections. The first 
method has been followed in cases 
where the person taken was not de- 
sirous of being taken, was to per- 
form some disagreeable office, sub- 
mit to some unpleasant act, or take 
some great risk. 

There have been cases where a 
number of men in order to preserve 
their lives have found it necessary 
to resort to human flesh for food. 
To determine which of their number 
should die, they drew lots. There 
w^ere no candidates. The special fit- 
ness of any particular individual was 
not urged. The man taken by this 
method was not by that action set 
apart or classified as better. Ordi- 



15 



narily food is not chosen in this way. 
But the method is followed at such 
times in the interest of fairness. 
Every man has an equal chance and 
every man takes his chance. Those 
men act as a pure democracy. De- 
mocracy is desirous of nothing more 
than fairness. Fairness has been 
absent in the treatment of the people 
for so many ages that they are glad 
to have it under any circumstances. 
The second method, that of elec- 
tion, has been followed in cases 
where the person taken was desirous 
of being taken, was to perform an 
agreeable office, or was to receive 
some favor or honor. There were 
candidates and special fitness was 
urged. The man elected was by that 
action set apart and classified as bet- 
ter. Those men acted as a pure de- 
mocracy also, but the first act as a 
pure democracy is to decide which 
method to employ. The best, in the 



16 



form of rank, fortune or intellect, 
seeks an advantage in the form of 
more chances. The best is always 
looking for more chances while De- 
mocracy is looking for fairness. The 
Best has more influence, and has 
more chances in an election than in 
a drawing. Democracy is unsuspici- 
ous. The Best is a practical politi- 
cian. Fairness is discarded in the in- 
terest of more chances. The elective 
method is decided upon. 

Men draw lots for disagreeable 
things and hold elections for agree- 
able things. The jury panel is drawn, 
the legislature is elected. The Best 
avoids the jury panel and seeks the 
legislature. Is not the Best as neces- 
sary on the jury panel as in the legis- 
lature? The Best wishes to go to 
the legislature and he desires more 
chances. For ages men have been 
educated to look up to the Best, to 
render tribute of respect to the Best 



17 



and now they are educated to vote, 
for the best. The Best knows he has 
more chances in an election than in 
a drawing. He would be a poor poli- 
tician and as fair as Democracy if 
he should favor drawing lots for the 
legislature. He favors the course 
which insures him more chances. 
Democracy, fair and unsuspicious, is 
prevailed upon to adopt the method 
which is unfair to the people. Democ- 
racy is unfair to itself. 

Law making is the vital function 
of government. Only when that re- 
sponds to the will of the democracy 
is there democratic government. A 
representative law making body 
should function as the whole body 
which it represents. If it does not 
so function it is not truly representa- 
tive of the larger body. It should 
enact the same laws that the whole 
democracy would enact if it should 
meet, and it should enact those laws 



at the time the whole democracy 
would enact them. It should be a 
minature of the whole democracy, a 
sample, if you please. It should con- 
tain the same elements in the same 
proportion. It should think the same 
thoughts, feel the same feelings, see 
the same needs, and have the same 
desires. Every interest, every class, 
every condition should be found in 
the law making body as it is found 
in the democracy. Employers and 
employees should be there; landlords 
and tenants; farmers, merchants, 
teachers, lawyers, physicians, minis- 
ters of the gospel, capitalists, and 
laboring men; and they should be 
found there, as near as may be, as 
they are found in the democrac3^ If 
we have that condition we have a 
truly representative law making 
body, a democratic law making body, 
and the people will rule indirectly. 
Considering the end that we de- 



19 



sire to attain, which of the two 
methods is more Ukely to secure that 
for us? We have never tried draw- 
ing persons to serve in our law mak- 
ing bodies. We have held elections 
always. By employing the elective 
method we have never yet secured a 
representative law making body. De- 
mocracy is a mixture of many ele- 
ments. Some elements are always 
absent from our law making bodies, 
and they are always the same ele- 
ments. Some elements are always 
present in our law making bodies 
in greater force than in our Democ- 
racy, and they are always the same 
elements. The result is that our law 
making bodies do not act as the De- 
mocracy would act if it were in 
session. 

A man, very eminent in our nation, 
stated not long ago, that our gov- 
ernment is dominated by the inter- 
ests, and that it is a question whether 



20 



our government can ever dominate 
the Interests. Dominate is defined 
as meaning to rule, to govern. We, 
a Democracy, governed by the Inter- 
ests? Democracy should govern it- 
self. Democracy should govern the 
Interests. A question whether De- 
mocracy can ever govern the Inter- 
ests? And after all these campaigns 
and all these elections ! 

Imagine the whole Democracy in 
session and the Interests attempting 
to rule. The supreme power is in 
Democracy. The will of Democracy 
is expressed through the majority. 
It cannot be ruled except by the ma- 
jority. The Interests are not the ma- 
jority, for if they are, they are not 
the Interests. The Interests cannot 
rule at that session of Democracy. 
If the Interests rule in a representa- 
tive Democracy the fault lies in the 
representation obtained by the use of 
the elective method. 



21 



The whole Democracy is never in 
session. It delegated its powers to a 
part of the people on the theory that 
that part would do as the whole peo- 
ple would do. And now comes a 
man, well informed, an expert who 
has watched the operation and re- 
sults for years, and he reports that 
the Interests are ruling. That it is 
a question whether Democracy can 
ever rule the Interests. That means 
that the representatives are acting 
according to the wishes of the Inter- 
ests, not according to the wishes of 
the people, and that it is a- question 
whether the representatives will ever 
act in accordance with the wishes of 
the people. Can a greater failure re- 
sult from drawing representatives? 
Election is the dope that Democracy 
took which put it to sleep and en- 
abled the Interests to take possession 
of its power. And Democracy is ad- 
vised to take more of the same dope 



22 



in an effort to recover its power. That 
is like advising a man who has lost 
his money in a crooked gambling 
game to go back and play the game 
again if he would recover his money. 
Democracy delegated its powers to 
its representatives and they were sent 
to rule. But the Interests rule. There- 
fore a majorit}^ of the representatives 
must belong to the class known as 
the Interests or they must be servants 
of the Interests. What men have been 
elected by us as representatives? 
Have we not always voted for the 
best? Haven't we elected the Best? 
Can it be that the Best are the Inter- 
ests? The Best make up an aristo- 
cracy. An aristocracy is defined as 
those who are regarded as superior 
to the rest of the community, as in 
rank, fortune, or intellect. Those are 
the men we have been electing, and 
by our very action of electing, we 
have classified them as the Best. We 



23 



ourselves have put a class in power 
to rule, and have called it Democ- 
racy. 

Let a machinist hit upon a popular 
automobile and thereby acquire a 
fortune, let a prospector discover a 
mine and become rich, and do we 
not try to put them in the Senate? 
And haven't we succeeded so well 
that our Senate has been dubbed a 
millionaires' club? Let a man ac- 
quire the reputation of possessing a 
superior intellect and we send hiin 
to congress. That is in obedience to 
the unwritten law which commands 
us to vote for the Best. The reputa- 
tion for superior intellect is gener- 
ally acquired in service of the domi- 
nant class, and becomes a surety 
when the intellect is admitted to asso- 
ciation with that class. 

The machinist and the prospector 
and the man of average intellect are 
of the masses. The millionaire and 



24 



the man of superior intellect are of 
the aristocracy. The machinist and 
the prospector, as poor men, pos- 
sessed every qualification, that the 
machinist and the prospector as rich 
men possess. Wealth alone made the 
difference. Is wealth a qualification? 
Those men are proper representa- 
tives, whether rich or poor, but when 
they become rich their interests are 
no longer the interests of the machin- 
ist and the prospector. By reason of 
their former condition in life they 
may have sympathies for the machin- 
ist and the prospector, but those men 
are entitled to more than sympathy. 
They are entitled to right; the right 
of every man to be represented by a 
man in the same condition and hold- 
ing the same interests, or, at least 
an equal chance of attaining that 
end. How absurd to send a laboring 
man to congress and urge that he 
held sympathies for the rich because 



25 



he had at one time been rich him- 
self. Yet that is the kind of repre- 
sentation the laboring man gets, a 
representation that savors of guar- 
dianship and philanthropy. The use 
of the elective method has fully dem- 
onstrated that many have no repre- 
sentation and no reasonable chance 
of representation under it. 

As for superior intellects, they are 
presumed to act as Democracy would 
act, and Democracy has no superior 
intellect. The average intellect will 
properly represent Democracy. The 
representatives of Democracy as- 
sume to vote as the Democracj^ indi- 
cates its wishes. No higher order of 
intelligence is required to cast that 
vote than the intelligence which de- 
termines how it shall be cast. No 
more intelligence is necessary to vote 
for or against free trade in congress 
than is required to vote for or against 
free trade in the election booth. 



26 



Superior intellects should be there 
to represent superior intellects, and 
the man of fortune should be there 
to represent the man of fortune. The 
latter would appear personally and 
not by attorney. Without them it 
wouldn't be Democracy. All inter- 
ests and all classes should be there 
in the legislature as in the commun- 
ity. In the legislature they would 
come face to face, wearing no dis- 
guises, and each known for what he 
is. 

Question whether our government 
can ever dominate the Interests? 
There is no question so long as we 
use the elective method. It can't be 
done. The Interests ma}^ lose a trench 
or a sector, temporarily, but they 
have more of the reserves used so 
lavishly in the warfare of ballots, and 
they will regain their losses. 

The elective method is a net with 
large meshes which takes the big 



27 



ones always. The little ones are never 
taken by it, and the mediums only 
occasionally. A government by the 
big ones will never be a government 
by all, nor for all. To have govern- 
ment by all a net must be used that 
takes all, indifferently, the big ones, 
the little ones, and the mediums. 
When shall we change nets? 

All of us have a chance to vote but 
most of us have no chance to take 
any further part in the government 
in our present condition. To get an 
office a man must have time to spare 
campaigning, shaking hands and 
making promises, called fixing 
fences, and he must have money to 
pay for advertising his superiority. 
The workers are so busy making a 
living for all, that they cannot spare 
the time, and the unfairness of ages 
has left them without the necessary 
means to compete on equal terms 
with wealth at the game of election. 



28 



They are a class without representa- 
tion. Some units of the class may 
be fortunate and get out of the class 
but the class remains, and without 
representation. The drones have 
plenty of time to spare, and the same 
unfairness of ages has placed the 
wealth largely in their hands. Elec- 
tion is their choice of weapons. Of 
course they win and rule. 

Democracy is beginning to realize 
that its representatives know its 
wishes but are indifferent to them, 
even opposed to them. A few years 
ago we desired a revision of the tariff 
laws, intending a decrease on the 
necessities of life, and increase on the 
luxuries. We indicated our desires 
unmistakeably. The tariff was ac- 
cordingly decreased on necessities 
and increased on luxuries. But we 
soon found that the classification had 
been changed; so that, what were 
necessities when we voted, in many 



29 

instances, were luxuries when the 
law went into efTect, and what were 
luxuries had become necessities. It 
was a joke on Democracy. Democ- 
racy is good natured and has a sense 
of humor. Democracy laughed at 
the joke. But there have been other 
jokes on Democracy. Democracy is 
becoming serious. Good nature is 
getting tired of jokes. 

As a result of the use of the elec- 
tive method our country has become 
the battle ground of classes. One 
class has control, while another class 
seeks control. Government by any 
class is unjust. As no man can be 
a just judge where his ow^n interests 
are involved, so no class can do jus- 
tice to all classes, for the interests 
of the one class are always involved. 
Let Democracy say to each class in 
turn, "You shall not rule alone. I 
will put you in with the people and 
the people alone shall rule." 



3.0 



Meetings are held, speeches are 
made, agitators agitate. But repre- 
sentative government is not function- 
ing. It fails to work as it was thought 
it would. The drive wheel revolves 
but the belts are slipping. The engine 
runs but the gears are stripped. The 
power is not transferred to the point 
where the work is to be done. The 
wishes of the people do not result in 
laws accordingly. Let us attend to 
the machinery first and discuss the 
work afterwards. 

Let Democracy take control of the 
government once more. Let it recall 
the power from its elected represen- 
tatives. Let Democracy then call a 
meeting of the people. All of us have 
a right to attend and many of us will. 
By going to attend we volunteer. But 
when we shall have arrived at the 
meeting place we shall find that the 
hall will hold only five hundred. Five 
lumdred can go in; the rest cannot 



31 

take part. They must go home. What 
is the fair way of deciding who shall 
go in and who shall go home? How 
shall we reduce the number to five 
hundred without making any other 
change? How can a body of five 
hundred be had which will be most 
likely to do as the larger body would 
do? Shall we sell five hundred tickets 
to the highest bidders? Shall we use 
a method that will sort the people 
at the door, turning away laborers, 
farmers, and other classes, and allow- 
ing only those of one class and their 
lawyers into the hall until it is filled? 
Or shall we distribute five hundred 
tickets indiscriminately among those 
who have come, and allow those 
holding tickets to go into the hall? 
In that hall it is to be desired that 
each interest should have the same 
prominence, the same influence, and 
the same power that it has in the 
larger body, no more, no less. That 



32 



will be fair to all. That will be a 
smaller Democracy. The Best will 
again favor election which never did 
bring such a result. Fair Play, the 
much talked of and seldom seen 
Square Deal, will favor drawing lots. 
Only that will bring the result de- 
sired, a body representative of De- 
mocracy, a smaller body just like it. 
Let the people then adopt the 
method of drawing lots to determine 
who shall go as their representatives. 
Let Democracy call for volunteers 
for the office and from those who 
volunteer draw the required number 
by lot. Each man will have his equal 
chance. Democracy will then have 
a truly representative law making 
body. That body will be as a chip 
from the block; as a drop from the 
bucket; as a handful of grain from 
the bin; just as good and no better; 
a body free asDemocracy, dominated 
by no man, no interest and no cla?:s, 



33 



but by a majority. The Interests rep- 
resented in that minature democ- 
racy will be unable to dominate it. 
There men will vote for bills, and 
not for men to vote for bills. It is 
easy to deceive the people as to the 
effect of voting for a man. It is not 
easy to deceive them as to the effect 
of voting for a bill. 

That body will act as the whole De- 
mocracy would act if it could meet. 
Democracy is good natured. It will 
accept any act of that legislature 
without a murmur. Chances are 
equal and Democracy is a sportsman. 
Confidence in the government will be 
restored. Men will know that they 
are a part of the government; that 
it is their government for their wel- 
fare. Spirit of Discontent will die. 
Red flags will disappear. Dynamit- 
ings will cease. Professional politi- 
cians will profess no more. Political 
parties will promise no more. Poll- 



34 



tical leaders will keep off the firing 
line as leaders do in war, and from 
the rear they will direct public opin- 
ion by appeals to reason, knowing 
that when they have convinced a 
majority of the people by honest 
argument, they will have convinced 
a majority of the law making body 
automatically, and legislation to the 
desired end will follow naturally. 
Changes will come gradually and not 
by convulsions. Revolution will 
never come. Governing will be a 
business and not a game. This is 
the way to Democracy. Through 
Democracy runs the way to World 
Peace. 

Incompetent men will go to con- 
gress? If all the men eligible to con- 
gress shouldl volunteer, a congress 
obtained by drawing from them 
would have the same proportion of 
incompetent men that there is in the 



35 



body politic. The incompetent men 
in congress would have no more ef- 
fect on legislation in congress than 
the incompetent men in the body 
politic have on legislation there, and 
some of the most important legisla- 
tion is left to the body politic. 

Men are not inclined to undertake 
duties that they do not understand 
and there is no great danger that 
many incompetent men will seek to 
attend a meeting that will result in 
public exposure of their incom- 
petence. The glitter and glory that 
has always attended royalty will dis- 
appear from offices chosen by lot. 
Those chosen will not have been 
classified as better. Respect for the 
opinion of his neighbors will tend to 
deter a man from volunteering for a 
duty that he is incapable of perform- 
ing properly. 

The independent voter will have a 
chance. There will be a great num- 



36 



ber of competent men come from all 
stations in life, men who are by tlie 
operation of tlie elective method shut 
out from our legislative halls, stu- 
dents of the science of government 
and economics, statesmen, not pro- 
fessional politicians. Professional 
politicians are students of the science 
of getting a public office and holding 
it until they can get a better one. 
Openly they try to appear for all 
things that they think will be pop- 
ular; under cover they are for them- 
selves first, their party next, and 
the people last. 

Young men will go to congress as 
they go to war. But they will not all 
be young men. Old men will be there, 
speaking their honest thoughts with- 
out fear, speaking in behalf of a peo- 
ple and not a party; speaking to De- 
mocracy and not to the Congres- 
sional Record. But they will not all 
be old men. 



37 



The elective method prevents many 
an honest man from going to con- 
gress who would go to serve the in- 
terests of the people, and sends in 
his stead, a dishonest man, who goes 
to serve his own interest, or the in- 
terest of his master. It demands a 
sacrifice of any who would be a can- 
didate for office, a sacrifice that many 
cannot make. To secure the nomina- 
tion, time and money must be spent. 
That secured, more time and more 
money is required in the campaign 
for election. Then he may be re- 
jected. Few can afford the loss of 
so much time and of so much money. 
They are barred unless they take 
financial aid from some interest 
whos« servant they become if elected. 
An incompetent man in such a man's 
place would be an improvement. The 
more time and the more money spent 
in the campaign for office, the better 
are the chances of election. The man 



38 



looking for plunder can afford to 
spend more time and more money 
than the man seeking to render hon- 
est service. 

The elective method induces hypoc- 
r'lsy, frauds and bribery. It is 
expensive, disturbing to the com- 
munity and inefficient. The voter is 
often handed a ballot prepared by 
practical politicians, on which ap- 
pear the names of half a hundred 
offices to be filled, with two or three 
times as many candidates. What in- 
formation he possesses of the ma- 
jority of them is hearsay evidence 
furnished by biased witnesses, often 
witiiesses employed for the purpose 
by the candidate. The voter's action 
approaches pure guess work. 

The drawn method would be in- 
expensive to all, attended by no com- 
motion and would be efficient. As a 
result of the adoption of it, govern- 
ment by party would disappear. Gov- 



39 



eminent by party enables the Inter- 
ests to wield the balance of power 
which in results is all the power. 
Good principles, no matter what 
their source, would be made law 
without a party triumph. Ridicule 
and derision would be supplanted by 
reason in political discussions. There 
is so much of good for all of us, and 
yet, there are so many workers at 
Poverty, and so many drones at 
Riches, that reason should prevail. 

No matter what system of govern- 
ment or social system is had, if the 
elective method is retained, there will 
always be a dominant class, and the 
Best will have the best. Under com- 
munism it would be the same. The 
Best would be drinking wine in the 
cellar while the common people were 
working in the vineyards. 

To change to the use of the drawn 
method it is not necessary to carry 



40 



on an expensive campaign for the 
election of men to change the elec- 
tion laws. The drawn method may 
be used without the repeal or amend- 
ment of any laws. The present elec- 
tion laws may all remain on the 
books. Neither is it necessary to pass 
any new laws. It is only necessary 
that a majority of the democracy 
favor the drawn method, and resolve 
to use it at all times, and live up to 
that resolution. 

The laws differ in the various 
states. In some primaries are held, 
in others, conventions; but perhaps 
in all, nominations can be made by 
petition. In one state for instance, 
the methods of nominating are by 
primary election, and by petition. We 
will therefore consider methods of 
proceeding in that state, which can 
be used in all states with slight 
changes to meet conditions. 

A society will be formed which 



41 



may be called the Society for Volun- 
teer Drawn Democracy, and in the 
organization of which the following 
plan may be followed, viz: 

hi each voting precinct in the state, 
a precinct division of the society will 
be organized. All voters residing in 
the precinct who resolve to follow 
the drawn method of selection of of- 
ficers will become members by act 
of subscribing to that resolution. A 
meeting of the precinct will be called. 
Two officers will be chosen, from 
those who volunteer, by the drawn 
method, a secretary-treasurer, and a 
president. The precinct division of 
the Society for Volunteer Drawn 
Democracy will then be complete. 

County divisions will be formed 
whose membership shall consist of 
the presidents of the precinct di- 
visions of the county. 

State divisions will be formed 
whose membership shall consist of 



42 



the presidents of the county divisions 
of the state. 

Ward and city divisions will be 
formed whose membership, in each 
instance, shall consist of the presi- 
dents of the precinct divisions of 
such ward or city. 

By following the plan divisions 
higher than the state divisions could 
be formed, until a world division 
would be had. 

All divisions will follow the ex- 
ample of the precinct divisions in 
their organization. Expenses will 
be met by voluntary contributions. 
Officers will hold office until the first 
day of January occurring next after 
a state election of officers, and until 
their successors are chosen. Vacan- 
cies will be filled as they may occur, 
by the method of proceeding origin- 
ally used. In this way, for every 
state election, the entire personnel 
of the county and state divisions will 



43 



change. 

This Society will be fonned as a 
river is formed, as an avalanche is 
formed in the mountains, as the 
clouds are formed in the heavens, 
and without any leader. Democracy 
has no more need of the usual 
political leader than has a river or an 
avalanche. Leaders rule; those who 
follow are ruled, and the combina- 
tion is an autocracy. 

After the formation of the society 
any person desiring to volunteer for 
an office shall make his certificate to 
that effect, stating his name, place of 
residence, mentioning precinct, coun- 
ty and state, and the office for which 
he volunteers. The same person 
might volunteer for only one office. 

If the office is one to be voted for 
in more than one count}^ the certifi- 
cate will be filed with the secretary 
of the state division. If it is an office 
to be voted for in one county, one 



44 



city, or one ward only, such certifi- 
cate will be filed with the secretary 
of such division. The secretary will 
number and file each certificate, and 
will issue to the volunteer a certifi- 
cate showing the fact of the receipt 
of such volunteer certificate and the 
number assigned to the same. 

A reasonable time will be allowed 
for filing volunteer certificates, notice 
of the expiration of which time will 
be given by the higher secretaries to 
the lower, in order. 

The time having expired for filing 
volunteer certificates, the several sec- 
retaries will call meetings of their 
organization for the purpose of nom- 
inating. 

The governing body of the city, the 
county, the state, and the nation, the 
legislature, being purely representa- 
tive of the people, and chosen to take 
the place of the people, will always 
be drawn by lot. This is the basic 



45 



principle of Volunteer Drawn De- 
mocracy. 

Drawings may be had in the follow- 
ing manner. A wheel having on the 
outside the ten digits, to 9, inclus- 
ive, and a movable spindle will be 
provided, to be operated in full view 
of the assembled members of the di- 
vision. Numbers assigned to volun- 
teer certificates will be made to have 
as many digits as the highest num- 
ber assigned to certificates for that 
office, by prefixing ciphers. Thus, if 
the highest number has four digits, 
as 1919, each number will have four 
digits, and the number nine would 
be written 0009. To draw a number 
the spindle will be spun four separ- 
ate times, or as many times as 
there are digits in the numbers. Each 
time one digit would be indicated. 
If the first time the spindle stopped 
on 0, the second on 0, the third on 0, 
and the fourth on 8, the number 8 



46 



would be indicated, and the volun- 
teer holding that certificate number 
would be the nominee of the society 
for that oftice. In case a number 
higher than that of any certificate 
number is drawn, a drawing for a 
new number will be had. 

As to the other offices, until a legis- 
lature has been secured by the prac- 
tice of Volunteer Drawn Democracy, 
and legislation had in regard to them, 
it is suggested that state officers now 
elected be nominated by the slate di- 
vision of the society, by majority 
vote of those present and voting. Offi- 
cers now elected for several counties 
will be nominated by the members of 
the state division from those coun- 
ties, by a majority vote of those pres- 
ent and voting. 

Officers elected in the various sub- 
divisions of the state will be nom- 
inated by the division of the society 
for such subdivision by majority vote 



47 



of those present and voting. 

Presidential electors will be nom- 
inated by drawing the required num- 
ber from the state division of the 
society, which drawing will be con- 
ducted by that division. 

All officers so nominated by the so- 
ciety will then be nominated by 
petition in accordance with the laws 
now in force in the state, and their 
names will be placed on the election 
ballot with an appropriate designa- 
tion, as Drawn Delegate, where per- 
mitted. 

Presidential electors obtained in 
this way will hold a convention and 
elect the president and vice presi- 
dent, and the electors for each state 
will then vote in accordance with this 
choice. Thus the electoral college 
will be put to actual use. At a glance 
this may seem a radical departure 
from our present method, yet in re- 
ality, it differs but little. Under the 



48 



present practice a convention of prac- 
tical politicians belonging to one 
party is held and they name their 
choice, then another convention of 
practical politicians belonging to an- 
other party is held, and , they name 
their choice. Thus, by the action of 
politicians alone, the presidency is 
narrowed down to two men. The 
people at the election then decide 
v/hich of these two men they prefer, 
and are said to have made a presi- 
dent. Neither of these party conven- 
tions is representative of the people, 
and 3^et one convention or the other 
names the president. The president, 
on being elected, may depend upon 
the support of most of his party and 
be sure of the opposition or most of 
the other party no matter what he 
does or proposes. There is always a 
large party in congress ready to op- 
pose any measure because that meas- 
ure is proposed by the other parly, 



49 



and if good would redound to the 
credit of that party, with a corre- 
sponding loss of credit to the party 
in opposition. Thus beneficial legis- 
lation is delayed or prevented. With 
nearly half of congress always in op- 
position, it is not a dilFicult matter 
for special interest to control legis- 
lative action. 

By the method proposed above, the 
president would be chosen by a con- 
vention truly representative of the 
people, and the action of that conven- 
tion would be final. The president 
would be the choice of the people, 
chosen by the people from the whole 
body politic eligible, and not from 
two men. 

When legislatures have been elect- 
ed in this way, the present election 
laws may be changd to harmonize 
with the principles of Volunteer 
Draw^n Democracy. It could be pro- 
vided that bodies of men obtained as 



50 



the county and state divisions would 
be obtained in the society, should 
elect all state and county officers, for 
such state or county, similarly to the 
method of nominating proposed for 
the society. The state body would 
draw the legislature, and the presi- 
dential electors would be drawn 
from the state body. This would 
greatly simplify methods of obtain- 
ing oflicers, do away with political 
parties entirely, and campaigns to a 
great extent, and so do away with 
political patronage as a reward for 
campaign service. 

On our way we approach a cross 
roads. Straight ahead lies the road. 
Election, which leads to Aristocracy. 
To the left is the road. Executive 
Controlled Election, which leads to 
Autocracy, over near the powder 
mill. To the right is the road Volun- 
teer Drawn, leading to Democracy, 
which is farthest from the powder 



51 



mill, and is on the way to World 
Peace. 

At the cross roads comes the acid 
test. Those rendering to Democracy 
lip service only will be known from 
the true believers. To Aristocracy, 
to Autocracy or to Democracy? 
Which way? 

The president under Volunteer 
Drawn Democracy would enjoy less 
power than he now^ does. Attributes 
of a king would disappear, and in 
the place of them would appear those 
of a general overseer of administra- 
tion. The incentives for the presi- 
dent to seek to enlarge his powers 
would to a great extent be removed. 
The people would be at his elbow, 
power of impeachment in hand. No 
longer would he be the creature of 
politicians and party, but of repre- 
sentatives of the people. His power 
to influence legislation would be lit- 



52 



tie more than that enjoyed by any 
other prominent person in the body 
poUtic. Party and patronage would 
be things of the past. These have 
too often been used to secure further 
lease of power, or to transfer it to a 
successor of the executive's choice. 
His power to appoint officers, to be 
approved by the senate, would dwin- 
dle to a mere power to suggest 
names, or nominate. His veto power 
would fall into disuse, and even if 
exercised, might have no other effect 
than to send the matter to a referen- 
dum of the people. It is to be con- 
ceived that such a congress would 
more readily favor referendum, and 
machinery to that end might be pro- 
vided where bills on important mat- 
ters were passed by technical majori- 
ties. 

Under the elective method the ex- 
ecutive is becoming more powerful. 
As commander in chief of an army 



53 



possessed of the instruments of mod- 
ern -warfare, an army trained to 
obedience, a subservient congress, 
and with the news service and means 
of conveyance under his control, it is 
not difficult to imagine a situation 
where lust for power might lead an 
ambitious man to follow some prece- 
dents in history. A man too sure of 
his own high motives, grown impa- 
tient with a conservative congress, 
might be lead to dispense with even 
the rubber stamp. Perhaps it were 
best that a rearrangement of power 
be had. 

Under Volunteer Drawn Democ- 
racy congress would come into its 
own ; it would be the governing body 
in the nation. Patronage would be 
of no political value to its members. 
Loyalty to party would be displaced 
by loyalty to the people, whence the 
members came, and whither they 
would so soon return, to enjoy or to 



54 



endure with the people the effects of 
their own actions. Inducements to 
act in a manner indifferent or op- 
posed to the interests of the people 
would be entirely removed. Men 
will do what is right and fair if the 
inducements to do otherwise are re- 
moved. 

The House of Representatives 
w^ould be a governing body of con- 
siderable numbers, and truly repre- 
sentative of the people. Action by it 
would be action by the people, indi- 
rectly. And yet, its action would go 
to the senate, another representative 
body, less numerous, but truly repre- 
sentative, and there such action 
would be reviewed and tested for De- 
mocracy. The same action by two 
representative bodies, action not had 
by use of a party whip, should lead 
to the conclusion that the action is in 
accord with the wish of the people 
represented. 



55 



Each member in congress would 
vote according to his individual views 
after full discussion, which would be 
revived, and yet each poUtical senti- 
ment would have the same promi- 
nence in congress that it has in the 
body poUtic. Drawing lots will re- 
sult in greater surety of representa- 
tion for the majority opinion than 
will voting for a platform of princi- 
ples, constructed to get in on, rather 
than to stand on. 

The scandalous waste of public 
money for partizan poHtical pur- 
poses, affirmed to exist, by each party 
in turn, would end; and the present 
unbusinesslike methods obtaining in 
public fiscal affairs would be super- 
seded by methods harmonizing with 
modern business methods. We might 
even be treated to the spectacle of a 
president seeking advice from con- 
gress instead of giving advice to it. 
Considering the limits of human in- 



56 



telligence it seems more reasonable 
that one should seek the advice of 
many than that many should be ad- 
vised by one. More of us would have 
an opportunity to go to the City of 
Washington, not for the purpose of 
living there, but to visit it on a mat- 
ter of public business, and to return 
and give the people at home the bene* 
fits of our observations and experi- 
ences. In this way a healthy interest 
in public affairs would be stimulated. 
Judicial officers now appointive by 
the president would have to stand the 
scrutiny of an uninfluenced, impar- 
tial senate. If the Congress deemed 
it advisable, the principles of Volun- 
teer Drawn Democracy could be ex- 
tended to a degree in the selection of 
those officers. Judicial officers might 
safely be drawn from the whole body 
of lawyers, who might volunteer. An 
erroneous idea prevails that a judge 
must be a person of legal ability ex- 



57 



ceeding that of the average lawyer. 
The prime requisite of a judge is in- 
dependence, which in its turn induces 
fairness. Legal ability is a secondary 
qualification to be desired. All prac- 
ticing lawyers have had their qualifi- 
cations passed upon in some manner, 
and have been officially certified as 
possessing sufficient qualifications to 
take the public's money as reward 
for private service. It seems it would 
not be difficult to admit that they 
have the necessary qualifications to 
take the public's money as reward 
for public service in the same pro- 
fession. 

Decisions by learned courts divided 
as five to four, may be reconciled 
with the theory that five were compe- 
tent and four were not. Who will 
affirm that a drawing of lawyers will 
result in a lower percentage of quali- 
fied judges? It is not to be feared 
that lawyers incapable of performing 



58 



the duties of a judge will volunteer. 
One who doesn't know the rules will 
hardly volunteer for umpire, and De- 
mocracy will stand for a lot of bum 
decisions if it thinks the umpire is 
calling the plays as he sees them. 
There is a prevalent feeling that the 
high judiciary has too much in com- 
mon with the dominant class. Every 
safeguard should be placed around 
the selpclion of judges to remove 
every suspicion of lack of independ- 
ence and fairness. 

If by the use of the elective method 
the present dominant class is de- 
throned, it will be only to enthrone 
another class in its place. The change 
will be accompanied by no benefit to 
the people as a whole and will result 
in the usual commotion that always 
accompanies any radical move. The 
tendency of election is to enthrone a 
political boss, an autocratic leader, 



59 



a dominant class. By election they 
may lose their positions but the posi- 
tions are immediately assumed by 
others. Under present methods tTie 
dominant class must rule or submit 
to rule by another class, and it can 
justify its position held as the result 
of the warfare of ballots, as a posi- 
tion held in self defense. No other 
class would do it justice, as it does 
justice to no other class. 

The adoption of the volunteer 
drawn method will dethrone the 
present class but it will not enthrone 
another. It will ensure to each class 
its proper place in the government 
and the present dominating class 
Eliould embrace it, not forgetting the 
truth, "Uneasy lies the head that 
wears a crown." 

When the method is adopted the 
I ecple will have attained liberty, 
freedom and self government. All 
will dwell together more like a loving 



60 



family than a contentious mob. 
Revolution can never come. Revolu- 
tion comes because there is no ade- 
quate machinery to determine the 
majority opinion, or because the peo- 
ple seek greater prominence in the 
government. Revolve our govern- 
ment today and what a change there 
would be. Revolve a democracy and 
there is no change. Democracy 
turned upside down will look the 
same, will be the same, and will work 
the same. 

This place is not Democracy. Let 
us move on to it. It must be en- 
tirely unoccupied as the waj^ to it 
seems never to have been used. It 
should be a heavenly place as its 
praises are being sounded by all. 
When we have beaten out the way 
to it perhaps others will come. Then 
we can fix up that way over to World 
Peace, which is not far from Democ- 
racy. It won't be much work for 
Democrats who have worked on the 
roads so long. Let us move. 

THOMAS KEEFE, 

Author. 



I 



NOTE. 

If you favor the method call the atten- 
tion of other voters of your precinct to 
THE WAY. If they favor it organize 
your precinct division of the SOCIETY 
FOR VOLUNTEER DRAWN DEMOC- 
RACY. Members are required to pay no 
dues nor membership fee. They are only 
to subscribe to the following resolution, 
viz: "We do hereby resolve to practice 
VOLUNTEER DRAWN DEMOCRACY." If 
you are unable to secure THE WAY from 
your newsdealer or bookseller it will be 
mailed you, postage prepaid, on receipt 
of twenty-five cents. 

ANNOUNCEMENT. 

THE DRAWN VOLUNTEER which will 
be a monthly publication containing news 
of the progress of the SOCIETY FOR 
VOLUNTER DRAWN DEMOCRACY, com- 
ments on THE WAY, the METHOD pro- 
posed, and the ELECTIVE method, will 
appear in the near future. Criticisms and 
suggestions which may be published in 
THE DRAWN VOLUNTEER are solicited. 
The subscription price will be One Dollar 
per year, payable in advance. Send in 
your subscription and those of your 
friends. 

THOMAS KEEFE, Publisher, 

Endicott Bldg., 
St. Paul, Minn. 
Dated, Feb. 10, 1919. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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